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Diarrhea is one of the most common illnesses in all age groups. The word "diarrhea" with its odd spelling is a near steal from the Greek "diarrhoia" meaning "a flowing through." Diarrhea is characterized by frequent and loose, watery stools. Diarrhea can be defined in absolute or relative terms based on either the frequency of bowel movements or the consistency (looseness) of stools.
A person with diarrhea typically passes stool more than three times a day. It is known to be opposite of constipation.
Acute diarrhea is a common cause of death in developing countries appears rapidly and may last from five to ten days.. In the United States, each child will have had seven to 15 episodes of diarrhea by age 5. It is estimated that there are almost 218 million cases of acute diarrhea per year in adults in the US.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) approximately 3.5 million deaths each year are attributable to diarrhea. 80% of those deaths occur in children under the age of 5 years.
Persistent diarrhea is both uncomfortable and dangerous to the health, as it can indicate an underlying infection. It may also mean that the body is not able to absorb some nutrients due to a problem in the bowels.
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TYPES OF DIARRHEA;--
- Secretary diarrhea
- Osmotic diarrhea
- Exudative diarrhea
- Motility-related diarrhea
- Inflammatory diarrhea
- Dysentery
Cause and Risk factors
Diarrhea causes the loss of both fluids and electrolytes (mineral), which can lead to troublesome problems. It is due to a simple infection, usually caused by a virus.
Among the many possible causes of diarrhea are;--
- food poisoning;
- incomplete digestion of food
- food allergies;
- excess alcohol consumption;
- bacterial, viral or other infection;
- Consumption of contaminated water.
- Caffeine, magnesium,
- Laxatives and sorbitol (for young children)
- Emotional stress
The use of drug, including antibiotics such as tetracycline, clindamycin (cleocin), or ampicillin can also contribute to diarrhea.Diarrhea can cause dehydration, which means the body has lost too much fluid and too many electrolytes and can’t function properly. Dehydration is particularly dangerous in children and in older adults and must be treated promptly to avoid serious health problems.
Sign and Symptoms
The common illness, which may last several days, often called "intestinal flu," is often due to one of a number of viruses that infect the bowel, making it weep fluid.
Symptoms that may accompany diarrhea include; ------
- Vomiting
- Cramping
- Thirst
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Headache
- Fatigue
- Blood in stool
Dietary and Nutritional Factors
This will prevent you from avoiding some foods unnecessarily;----
- Limit foods that contain caffeine such as coffee, strong tea and cola beverages.
- Limit your use of high fat foods such as fried foods, fatty meats, high fat desserts, excess butter, margarine, higher fat milk products (homo milk, cream) and greasy snack foods
- Try eating several small meals throughout the day.
- Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, potatoes, rice noodles, dried beans, peas, and lentils.
- Choose low fat dairy products, including skim, 1%, and 2% milk, low-fat cheeses, and low-fat yogurt.
- Carrot juice is also good, as it makes the stools less watery but don’t drink apple juice, as this can make diarrhea worse.
Recommendations
Drink a lot of liquids, such as hot carob drink,” green drinks” and plenty of quality water.
Avoid high fiber foods, which may stress the digestive system.
Ginger tea is good for cramps and abdominal pain.
Fenugreek, taken as a tea, lubricates the intestines and reduces fever.
Do not consume any diary products (except for low-fat soured products as they are highly allergenic. Moreover, diarrhea causes a temporary loss of enzyme needed to digest lactose(milk sugar)
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